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English Soccer Guide

Paul Gerald, author of “60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Portland” and “Breakfast in Bridgetown,” will publish a book about English soccer in the summer of 2015. It will cover all the clubs in the Premier League plus many others: where they are, what they’re about, and how to immerse yourself in the culture of English soccer. This blog is Paul’s English Soccer Tour — aka his research.

Comments Off on Planning a Trip to Watch Soccer in England? Here’s How

For even more about English soccer, check out the new site for my upcoming book: An American’s Guide to English Soccer Since I started writing about my adventures watching soccer in England, I have received many emails like this one: “I will be in England the weekend of October 17, and my family and I…

Comments Off on Watching Soccer in England: Best Times To Go, 2015-16 Season

If you’re planning a trip to watch soccer in England, one of the big questions is, What’s the best time to go? Or, if you’ve got a trip planned and want to know what games are on, you need some kind of reference. Fear not, my fellow non-Brits, for I have done my homework. Below…

Comments Off on Steven Gerrard Signs for LA Galaxy; Why This is More Bad News for Most of MLS

Normally, in this space, I would be writing about English soccer. But today I want to write about American soccer, and in particular the ongoing downfall of it. Wait, downfall of American soccer? How can this be? Everybody knows that soccer is booming in America! In many ways, it is. Just check any media outlet, and…

Comments Off on A Game at Villa Park: Rain, Lines, A Great Stadium, and a Mr. Harry Kane

As it usually does, the singing started on the train. Spurs fans were singing how much they hate Arsenal, though they were about to play Aston Villa, and Villa fans were singing how much they hate Birmingham, even though they were about to host Tottenham. When we got to Aston Station, some of the Villa fans,…

One of the most amazing things about seeing soccer in England is that stadiums which host top-flight players in one of the world’s greatest leagues are often right in the middle of some residential neighborhood — and the fans are right on top of the pitch. Nowhere is this more in evidence than at Loftus…

The first thing I heard about watching a game at Burnley FC was from a Sunderland fan – and it wasn’t completely positive. I had just told her, during a game at The Stadium of Light, that I like the old grounds, such as Everton’s Goodison Park, and she said, “Yeah, that’s like going back…

My English soccer tour has always been mostly about people. There are the people I meet, of course, and the people who read the stuff I write. Ultimately, there will be people reading the book and having their own experiences – maybe even coming on tours with me. My relationship with Sunderland has always been…

Comments Off on Fulham’s Craven Cottage: A Proper Civilized Football Ground

Going to a game at Fulham is among the more civilized experiences I’ve had on my English soccer tour. First, it’s in a lovely and posh area of West London, and to get there from the nearest tube station you actually walk through a park along the River Thames. Second, the ground, Craven Cottage, is…